Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

libertarian

American  
[lib-er-tair-ee-uhn] / ˌlɪb ərˈtɛər i ən /

noun

  1. a follower of a political philosophy or party that advocates individual liberty achieved by limiting the power of a central government.

    Whether left- or right-leaning, libertarians generally oppose taxation and support free trade.

  2. a person who advocates liberty, especially with regard to thought or conduct.

  3. a person who maintains the doctrine of free will (necessitarian ).

adjective

  1. of or relating to a political philosophy or party that advocates individual liberty achieved by limiting the power of a central government.

    libertarian views;

    a libertarian economist.

  2. advocating or conforming to the principles of liberty.

  3. maintaining the doctrine of free will.

libertarian British  
/ ˌlɪbəˈtɛərɪən /

noun

  1. a believer in freedom of thought, expression, etc

  2. philosophy a believer in the doctrine of free will Compare determinism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a libertarian

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • antilibertarian adjective
  • libertarianism noun

Etymology

Origin of libertarian

First recorded in 1780–90; libert(y) + -arian

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Minicircle is based in the libertarian stronghold of Próspera, a small charter city on the island of Roatán, off the coast of Honduras, with its own laws and regulatory frameworks.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

An acclaimed author and historian of the libertarian movement fell to his death last week, his employer confirmed.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

His remarks came on Wednesday at an event hosted by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

The hirsute libertarian, using leverage from his midterm elections triumph in October, just massaged labor reform legislation through Congress, delivering one of the Big Three structural reforms on markets’ wish list.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Jesse was nearly indefinable politically, but libertarian probably came closest.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.